Eidgenössisches Institut für Geistiges Eigentum

Institut Fédéral de la Propriété Intellectuelle

Istituto Federale della Proprietà Intellettuale
Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
Stauffacherstrasse 65/59g y CH-3003 Bern y Telephone +41 (0)31 377 77 77 y Fax +41 (0)31 377 77 78 y www.ipi.ch

Invent, produce, market

Intellectual property in the innovation process:
A guideline for innovative and creative minds

mod. dép.
CH 695552
pat. pend.
+pat+
 Preface
Preface

Protecting intellectual property can be decisive for small and medium-

sized innovative businesses—but the how-to information is often
missing. To help you get started with intellectual property rights, we have
focused this guide around a typical innovation process: As it guides you
through the essential phases of the process, you will learn valuable facts
about patents, trademarks, designs and copyrights. If you desire more
detailed information, you can click on any of the numerous links to
further sources.

Still have questions? We are glad to answer them for you and appreciate
comments of any kind. Contact us, we're here for you!

We wish you all the best as you turn your ideas into successful products.

Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 2

 Imprint
Important information and imprint

The guideline – an online tool

This guideline has been created for the internet and can be accessed at www.ige.ch in English, German, French
and Italian.

No substitute for expert advice

Intellectual property law is complex. This guide cannot indicate all the details, exceptions and special cases. The
information included are not legally binding and do not replace the advice of a specialist.

Prepared with care but no guarantee

The content in these pages has been created with great care. However, we cannot guarantee its correctness,
completeness nor currentness. We also take no responsibility for the content or currency of the external links
included here.

Swiss information for all

The information in this guideline refers to the existing situation in Switzerland if not otherwise noted. For readability
we have used the male pronoun only.

© Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property 2006

Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property

Stauffacherstrasse 65/59g
CH-3003 Bern
Telephone +41 (0)31 377 77 77
Fax +41 (0)31 377 77 78
www.ipi.ch, info@ipi.ch
Version 6, 22.9.2009

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 3

 Table of contents
Table of contents

Page
Idea...............................................................................................................................................................................................................5
„ Can ideas be protected? ...................................................................................................................................................................5
„ Keep it secret! ....................................................................................................................................................................................5
„ Do your research!...............................................................................................................................................................................5
„ If you find ............................................................................................................................................................................................6
„ If you don’t find ..................................................................................................................................................................................7
„ Realistic project?................................................................................................................................................................................7
„ To protect or not?...............................................................................................................................................................................7
Product development .................................................................................................................................................................................8
„ Proto-type............................................................................................................................................................................................8
„ Co-operation .......................................................................................................................................................................................8
„ Technical problems............................................................................................................................................................................8
„ Business plan .....................................................................................................................................................................................9
„ Starting a company ............................................................................................................................................................................9
„ Internet presence............................................................................................................................................................................ 10
„ Trademarks...................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
„ Everything legal? ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10
„ Don’t infringe!.................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Protection strategy................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
„ Define your strategy........................................................................................................................................................................ 12
„ Protective rights are assets............................................................................................................................................................ 12
Patents...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
„ Protection Requirements ............................................................................................................................................................... 14
„ No protection for ............................................................................................................................................................................. 14
„ Filing a patent application.............................................................................................................................................................. 15
„ Protection abroad ........................................................................................................................................................................... 15
„ Costs................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Trademarks............................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
„ Grounds for refusal ......................................................................................................................................................................... 17
„ Search first! ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
„ Trademark registration ................................................................................................................................................................... 18
„ Protection abroad ........................................................................................................................................................................... 18
„ Costs................................................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Designs ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
„ Requirements for protection .......................................................................................................................................................... 20
„ No protection for ............................................................................................................................................................................. 20
„ Depositing designs.......................................................................................................................................................................... 20
„ Protection abroad ........................................................................................................................................................................... 20
„ Costs................................................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Copyrights ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22
„ Conditions for protection................................................................................................................................................................ 22
„ No protection for ............................................................................................................................................................................. 22
„ Protection abroad ........................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Marketing.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 23
„ Advertising ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
„ Document things!............................................................................................................................................................................ 23
Enforcement ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
„ Monitor your competition ............................................................................................................................................................... 24
„ Export ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 24
„ Monitor register entries .................................................................................................................................................................. 25
„ Litigation? ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 25
„ Managing rights............................................................................................................................................................................... 25
„ Dealing with conflicts...................................................................................................................................................................... 26
„ Protection expired? ......................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Any questions? ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 28

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 4

 Idea
Idea
You have a great idea and want to follow through. How should you proceed? Think carefully about your idea first!

„ Can ideas be protected?

Ideas, as such, cannot be protected, however, under certain conditions the concrete form of the idea can be:
• Technical solutions to a problem can be protected by a patent (e.g., heatable ski boots)
• The name of a product or a logo can be protected by registering a trademark (e.g., Ricola)
• A product form can be protected by depositing a design (e.g., Colani bottle)
• Literary works, art and computer programs are protected by copyrights

An idea alone is not patentable, but the exact instructions for arriving at the solution to a technical problem are.
The realization of the idea must be accurately described.

Discoveries, aesthetic forms, and business systems are not considered inventions in Switzerland and thus cannot
be patented. A discovery refers to finding something which already exists and simply describing it, or, in other
words, an invention expands the technical possibilities of mankind while a discovery only expands our knowledge.

More examples of what is not patentable is under «No protection for».

Good to know
• Computer programs, as such, are not patentable, but, inventions based on such programs are (for example,
electronic steering). More information on computer-based inventions can be found on page 14 of our patent
examination guidelines (available in German, pdf 707 KB, and French, pdf 589 KB).
Further information
• What is intellectual property?
• No protection for?

„ Keep it secret!
Keep your idea to yourself, especially if you want to protect it as intellectual property.
• Keep your invention secret as long as you have not applied for a patent. If you make your invention public in
any form before you apply for a patent, it is no longer patentable. To be patentable, an invention must be novel
(among other things). An invention is novel when no one anywhere in the world has heard of it before the
application date. If you expose your invention at an exhibit or in a scientific publication before you file your
patent application, it becomes so—called “prior art“ and is no longer considered novel when you apply for a
patent.
• The same is true for protecting designs. A design must be new in order for it to be protected.
• A trademark should also be unpublished before you apply for registration. If not, someone else can register it in
their name. Trademark rights are reserved for whoever registers first.

„ Do your research!
Try to find out whether your idea or something similar has already been done. Do searches in internet databases,
search the technical, scientific and patent literature, and inform yourself at trade exhibits and by looking through
product catalogs.

Patents reflect the innovations which are being developed. Patent databases contain a huge amount of
information about technological developments for products and processes—often long before these are on the
market or in use. You can use this information to avoid beginning development on something which has already
been developed. Patent information can also inspire new ideas or other solutions.

If you’ve never searched for information before, we can help you through our Assisted Patent Search service. You
can also go straight to a professional. This person can search specific patent databases as well as the technical
literature for solutions identical or similar to yours.
If you have already filed a patent application, you may, for information purpose, request a “Search for a Swiss
Patent Application”.

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 5

 Idea

Good to know
• Research is valuable at any point in the innovation process. For example, you can find solutions for technical
problems, keep informed of new technical developments, search for suppliers or licensing partners, avoid
infringement, check the validity of a patent, or even look for the translation of a patent.

Resources
• www.swissreg.ch: The official publication of Swiss patents, trademarks, and designs contains information on
published Swiss applications and Swiss patents as well as granted European patents effective in Switzerland
and Liechtenstein.
• www.espacenet.com: The online database of the European Patent Organisation containing over a million
patent documents from all over the world.
• www.depatisnet.de: Search for patent documents throughout the world with the online service of the German
Patent and Trademark Office.
• www.wipo.int: The digital library of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva (for patents,
trademarks, and designs).
• www.uspto.gov: The online database of the patent and trademark office of the U.S.A.

You can also use Google www.google.ch or other search machines. Many other patent and trademark offices
have online databases which you can access from their websites.
Searches
• Assisted Patent Search: Make use of the expertise of a patent expert at our office in Bern for a half day:
Accompanied by an expert, you search online databases and get a first overview of the state of the art for your
idea or invention.
• Professional searches: A technology and patent search by a specialist can help you determine the state of the
art in a particular technology sector.
• Search for a Swiss Patent Application: You will receive a search report containing a list of the most relevant
documents. In this report, the significance of the various documents in terms of the patent claims they refer to
is also indicated.

„ If you find
If you find documents, in particular patent documents, or an identical or similar product,various options are
possible
depending on your goal:
• You purchase the product and save the costs of development.
• Do you want to produce the product yourself? Is the product patented? Find out whether there are patents
protecting it and if so, in which countries they are valid or whether the protection has already expired (legal
status). If the patent is still valid in countries in which you want to conduct business, you need to negotiate with
the owner about using his invention. Maybe you can obtain a license to produce it. If the patent is already
expired, you can use the technical information freely.
• You can also improve the product. You do not need the permission of the patent owner to improve a patented
product. You can also use patent protected information as a foundation from which to pursue your own
research and development. What is illegal is commercially using a patented invention. If you wish to market the
results of your further development, you need to determine to what extent the rights of the owner of the basic
patent– or other patents – might overlap. It may be necessary to pay licensing fees in order to use your
invention. The further development on the invention might also be patentable if you fulfill the necessary
conditions. In particular, the further development must be clearly separate from the original invention.
• Or you circumvent the patents you found: You can apply other technologies and solve the problem in a different
way. An professional search can show you where you risk infringing on other patents and where you have room
to develop for your own invention.

Resources
• www.espacenet.com: Millions of patent documents from all over the world are contained in the online
database of the European Patent Organisation. You can determine whether a patent is valid and in which
country (legal status) by looking at the register of INPADOC legal status. To confirm the information you find, we
recommend querying the foreign office. We can gladly assist you with this. Note the information regarding
patent register searches.
• www.swissreg.ch: The official publication of Swiss patents, trademarks, and designs contains information on
published Swiss applications and Swiss patents as well as granted European patents effective in Switzerland
and Liechtenstein.

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 6

 Idea

Searches
• Patent register searches
• Professional searches: Do you want to know whether a patent is protected and in which country (legal status)
or whether your invention could infringe on the rights of others when it is produced and marketed? Searches
done by specialists can give you answers!

„ If you don’t find

No description of your idea or your solution? It is too early to tell if your idea is truly novel. To find what you’re
looking for in the mass of available data, research experience, patent expertise, and knowledge of the specific field
is essential. A search specialist might be able to find relevant documents for you in specialized databases. It is
possible that competitors have purposely withheld a solution from patenting. In such a case -- when others have
neither publicized nor applied for a patent – your invention is considered novel and nothing would hinder patenting
it.
Keep going with your research and begin developing a proto-type soon!

Searches
• Providers of professional technology and patent searches

„ Realistic project?
Make sure you develop a product that people want and for which you can create a demand! Your product must
also be realizable: Can you produce it yourself? Or do you need to find partners and distributors?

Further information
• European Patent Office: Seven Deadly Mistakes for an Inventor

„ To protect or not?
Do you want to protect your invention by a patent? Consider this question early enough. Until you’ve decided it, we
advise you to keep your idea secret.

The exact date on which you apply for a patent can be decisive. Some areas of technology are fiercely competitive
and new technologies appear on the market with lightning speed. Whoever first applies for a patent for an
invention secures the rights to it.

Further information
What can be protected and how?
• An overview of protective rights
• Protection strategy

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 7

 Product development
Product development
Make your idea real. Set goals for yourself and review your progress regularly.

„ Proto-type
Develop a proto-type. Work out the details in drawings and plans, and describe the solution precisely. This helps
you determine how realistic your idea is and to uncover any weaknesses.

Good to know
• In case a conflict arises at a later date, you will be able to prove the date of your invention (e.g., the steps in
your inventive process). Date the drawings and plans, put them in a sealed envelope, and then mail them to
yourself (do not open the envelope!). You can also have the documents notarized.

„ Co-operation
Cooperating with partners on the development phase can shorten the time needed and lead to more thoroughly
thought-out solutions.

If several people have worked together on an invention, the patent rights are jointly owned. This is provided for in
the patent law. We recommend defining the relationships and intellectual property rights contractually.

You don't know how to utilize your invention yourself? Technology transfer (TT) offices can find partners in business
or research for you.

Good to know
• Do you want to protect your invention or design? Then file your application for protection before you tell
someone else about it and destroy the «novelty» (a condition for protection). Or, you can sign a confidentiality
agreement with your partners. Patent attorneys (or other specialists) can help you.
Support
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland
Further information
• www.switt.ch: To find links to technology transfer offices, you can go to the website of the Association of the
Swiss Professionals for Academic Technology Transfer.
• www.kti-cti.ch: The Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) supports projects in
research and development among schools of higher education and businesses. Further information can be
found at CTI/OPET, the innovation promotion agency.

„ Technical problems
Have you come up against technical problems? Look through the patent literature. Among the millions of patent
documents, you can find already made solutions or be inspired to make a solution. Pay attention to patent
information in other technology sectors as well.

Have you recently done searches? Searches are only snap shots! Every 30 seconds a new patent is being
published somewhere in the world.

Resources
• www.espacenet.com: Millions of patent documents from all over the world are contained in the online
database of the European Patent Organisation.
Further information
• Technology and patent information

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 8

 Product development

Searches
• Assisted Patent Searches: Make use of the expertise of one of our patent experts in Bern for a half day:
Accompanied by an expert, you search online databases and get a first overview of the state of the art for your
idea or invention.
• Professional searches: A technology and patent search by a specialist can give you information about the
state of the art in your technology sector.

„ Business plan
A rough concept or business plan can show how and with what resources you intend to realize your idea. It also
forces you to thoroughly think through your idea and helps you determine how realistic it is. If you know your
strengths and weaknesses you can decide whether and how to proceed.
A business plan defines your strategy, the type of business, financing, market, projected turn-over, competitors,
marketing and intellectual protection strategy.

A business plan is often essential if you want to sell your idea or find a partner for the production or marketing of
your product.

Further information
• www.gruenden.ch: For information on setting up a company in the Canton of Zurich.
• www.kmu.admin.ch: Information for entrepreneurs (G/f/I only).
Resources
• www.venturelab.ch: Professional, free support for exceptional business ideas. Venturelab is a federal initiative
(G/F/I only).

„ Starting a company
Do you want to start a new business for your new product?
The cantonal commercial registry is responsible for registering new businesses in the commercial register.
Observe the basics for creating a business name and then determine whether it is still available.

Did you know that a protected trademark and a business name can conflict with each other? That’s why we advise
you before registering your name with the commercial registry to make sure that no identical or similar name is
already protected as a trademark. You can have a search provider make a search for you.

Entering your business name in the commercial register does not automatically protect it as a trademark.
Trademark protection derives only from entering a sign in the trademark register at the Institute. The commercial
register offers only limited protection from other people using a business name for their products, so it can be
worthwhile to also register your business name as a trademark.

Further information
• Why protect a firm name as a trademark as well?
• Information sheet on areas of potential conflict between signs, only available in German (pdf 83 KB), French
(pdf 80 KB) and Italian (pdf 81 KB).
• www.zefix.ch: Central Commercial Registry. The website also has links to the cantonal commercial registries.
• www.bj.admin.ch: the website of the Federal Office of Justice with information regarding firm protection.
• www.gruenden.ch: A wealth of information for entrepreneurs from the founding platform of the Canton of
Zurich.
• www.kmu.admin.ch: Information for businesses from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (seco).
• www.kmuadmin.ch: Federal office for entrepreneurs (D/f/I only).
Support
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland

Searches
• Professional searches: Searches for identical or similar trademarks protected in Switzerland can be carried
out by a variety of professional providers.

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 9

 Product development
„ Internet presence
Do you want your business to be online? You can register domain names for .ch (Switzerland) and .li (Lichtenstein)
at the SWITCH foundation registration office.
Find out if the domain name you want is available. At the SWITCH website you can search for names that have
already been taken. Or you can order a domain name search with us.

Did you know that a protected trademark and a business name can conflict with each other? Before you register
your domain name, we recommend that you determine whether identical or similar names have already been
registered as trademarks. You can have a search provider make a search for you.

Caution: If you want to patent your invention or protect the design of your product, we highly recommend not
putting your website online until you've filed for protection. Publishing information about your product destroys the
novelty of it and makes the invention or design ineligible for protection.

Further information
• Legal information about domain names
• Information sheet on areas of potential conflict between signs, only available in German (pdf 83 KB), French
(pdf 80 KB) and Italian (pdf 81 KB).
• www.switch.ch: Registration office for domain names for .ch and .li.
• Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN): Register domain names for .com, .net, .org,
.biz, .info, and .name at one of the registration offices recognized by ICANN.
Resources
• www.swissreg.ch: Newly registered trademarks as well as modifications to registered trademarks are published
on Swissreg. Here you can also do an initial search for nationally registered trademarks in Switzerland. Please
note that searching this database cannot replace a professional search because no trademark similarity
searches are possible and the database does not include international trademarks with extension in
Switzerland.
Searches
• Professional searches: Searches for identical or similar trademarks protected in Switzerland can be carried out
by a variety of professional providers.

„ Trademarks
Give your product a name!
Will you create a special calligraphy or logo design?

Product names and logos can also be registered as trademarks. This gives you the exclusive right to use a certain
sign for specific goods and services or to grant someone else the right to use it (i.e., licensing).
If you have someone else design your logo, you should clarify in writing who will own the final rights to it and how
they will be managed. Be sure not to create a sign that is the same or similar to one registered as a trademark by a
competitor.

Further information
• Trademark protection
• Trademark information for beginners

„ Everything legal?
Determine whether you need to follow legal restrictions. Certain products (e.g., medicines, chemicals, and
agricultural fertilizers and pesticides) must be approved by a federal agency (such as swissmedic or the Federal
Office of Public Health) in order to protect public health, the environment or other important resources before they
can be produced or marketed. Patent owners also require approval in order to bring certain products onto the
market. This is because a patent does not automatically confer on its owner the right to use an invention. The
patent law does not govern whether and under which conditions an invention may be used. For that there is other
applicable legislation, such as a federal drug act or gene technology act.

Further information
• http://bewilligungen.kmuinfo.ch: Overview of the approval procedure, cantonal procedure, and regulated
professions (website of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs; D/F only).

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 10

 Product development
„ Don’t infringe!
Don’t infringe on the rights of others. Patent, trademark, design and copyright infringements can be punished: with
a monetary penalty of up to CHF 100,080,000 or even, in the worst case, up to five years custodial sentence and a
monetary fine. In addition, you may have to pay damages. Even if things don't get so far you stand to lose a lot. For
instance, if you lose an infringement case, you have to stop production and destroy any existing products,
marketing materials and office documents.

We recommend clarifying the following before beginning production:

• Does your product tangent other patents?
Professional searches can help you avoid possible risks of patent infringement. Discuss how to proceed with
an expert.
• Does the name of your product or logo infringe on older trademark rights?
A similarity search finds out whether earlier trademark rights exist.
• Searches for similar or identical trademarks can find earlier trademark rights if they exist.

Don’t forget: This is true whether you’ve protected your intellectual property or not! Even if you don’t own any
intellectual property rights, you can still end up in litigation over other patents, trademarks, or designs.

Support
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland
Searches
• Professional searches: Searches for identical or similar trademarks protected in Switzerland can be carried out
by a variety of professional providers.

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 11

 Protection strategy
Protection strategy
You have invested a lot of energy and money in developing your product. That’s why it is also worth paying money to
protect it. The federal government is there to provide you with protective rights such as patents, trademarks and
designs.

„ Define your strategy

How do you want to protect and defend your intellectual property long-term? Weigh the costs and advantages and
define a protective strategy. Decide what you want to protect, in which countries, for how long, whether and how
you want to monitor your protective rights, how you can defend them, and, just in case, how you want to assign
them.

Here are a few questions you should think about:

• What do you want to protect? Invention, trademark, or design? Or all three simultaneously? Do you want to
patent the opening mechanism for the umbrella? Protect the form of the handle or the pattern of the fabric as
a design? Or do you want to register the name of the umbrella as a trademark?
• How do you want to protect your invention?
Î You can keep the invention secret,
which is, to a certain extent, a cheap, permanent form of protection. However, someone else can discover your
solution and use it freely.
Î You can protect the invention with a patent.
As a patent owner, you can commercially use your invention and prohibit others from the economic utilizaton
(e.g., producing, seling, or importing) of your invention for a maximum of 20 years. This allows you to recoup
the money you invested in development and to make a profit. In return, so to speak, you must accurately
describe your invention and disclose it (in Switzerland, inventions are electronically published at
www.swissreg.ch 18 months after the date of filing, or, if applicable, the priority date). Patent protection
promotes technological progress by allowing the state of the art of a technology to be disseminated. Others can
freely access the knowledge and use it as a starting point for advancing their own research.
 Whatever is not
published in the patent application and thus kept secret is not protected.
Î Or, you can publish an invention without patenting it.
This prevents someone else from obtaining a viable patent for your invention. When an invention has already
been published, it is no longer considered novel and thus is not patentable.
• How to decide in which countries to protect your intellectual property? Which markets are feasible and
interesting for your product? Are you prepared to defend your rights in these countries?

We recommend that you consult a specialist (patent or trademark attorney) for developing an effective intellectual
property strategy.

Good to know
• There is another defense against counterfeiting without patent, trademark, or design rights: Manufacturers are
also protected against counterfeiting through the Federal Law on Unfair Competition. This law protects
primarily against a conduct of business which is contrary to good faith-practices or immoral. Acts which are
considered unfair and illegal are things such as deceiving and misleading consumers. The unfair competition
law can be used to proceed against counterfeiting and copying (Federal Law on Unfair Competition)
• Copyrights are no substitute for patent protection.
Further information
• What is intellectual property?
Support
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland

„ Protective rights are assets

As soon as you have applied or filed for protection, you can sell, license (i.e., 'lease’), or pledge your rights.

When you sell your rights, you transfer them to someone else. You can sell a protective right from the start, for
instance, when you don’t want to market it yourself. This way you immediately receive the agreed upon sum,
independently of the future value of the title. Or you can wait and transfer the protective right after the resulting
product has been successfully marketed. Under licensing, the title owner (licensor) retains his rights. But he makes
an agreement with the licensee on the manner and time period for which the protective right may be used and how
the benefits will be managed.

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 12

 Protection strategy

We recommend retaining a specialized attorney for negotiating and writing sale and licensing contracts.
If you own the rights it might be easier to find investors. A protective title can also be used as a collateral for
investors under certain conditions.

Good to know
• Who owns the rights to an invention or design created as part of an employment relationship?
 First, check if
the employment contract deals with this issue. If it doesn’t, then article 332 of the Swiss Obligation Code is
applicable. According to this law, inventions and designs belong to the employer if they are made in fulfillment
of contractual obligations. Inventions and designs created during regular work time but not under the
contractual obligations must be offered to the employer. Then the employer can decide whether he wants to
obtain the invention or design in question.
• Including intellectual property in the bookkeeping is an important and complex subject. Consult a financial
expert or auditing office.
Support
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland
• Swiss Bar Association

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 13

 Patents
Patents
A patent is a protective title granted by the state for an invention. It gives the owner protection from another
person commercially using (i.e., producing, applying, selling or importing) his invention without permission for a
maximum of 20 years. For example: The inventor of a ball-point pen can prevent someone else from producing
ball-point pens without his permission based on his patent. However, he can also allow production against some
kind of recompensation.

Legally, an invention is a new solution to a technological problem. Products (such as heatable ski boots, or
chemical compounds such as aspirin) and processes (such as a process for freeze-drying coffee) can be patented.

Patent protection is only valid in those countries where a patent has been granted. It expires 20 years after the
application date. Thereafter, the invention belongs to the public domain and can be used by anyone.

Good to know
• Patented products or their packaging can be graphically identified, for example, by the federal cross and the
patent number (+69255) and even information about the country in which the patent was granted (CH patent
69255). If a patent application has been filed for an invention, the symbols ‘pat.pend.’ or ‘patent pending’ can
be used. It is an offence to misuse these symbols.
• A patent does not automatically confer its owner the right to use his invention. Other laws, such as those
covering medicines or artificial reproduction, regulate whether an invention can be used. In many cases,
approval must be obtained.
Further information
• Patent protection
Resources
• www.swissreg.ch: The official publication of Swiss patents, trademarks, and designs contains information on
published Swiss applications and Swiss patents as well as granted European patents effective in Switzerland
and Liechtenstein.
• www.espacenet.com: Millions of patent documents from all over the world are contained in the online
database of the European Patent Organisation.

„ Protection Requirements
An invention must meet three criteria in order to be patentable.

1. Industrial application:
The invention must be manufacturable or applicable in some commercial sector (including agriculture). This
condition is met by most inventions.
2. Novelty:
The invention must be novel. An invention is considered novel when it is not already part of the state of the art.
State of the art includes anything which has been made public through writing, orally, by use, or any other means
anywhere in the world previous to the date of the patent application.
3. Non-obviousness:
The solution to a problem is considered inventive, if, based on the current state of the art, it is not obvious for an
ordinary person skilled in the art. Using another type of material instead of the type usually used (e.g., using
aluminium instead of steel) is evident for an ordinary person skilled in the art and therefore not an inventive
development. An indication of an inventive step is the unexpected quality of a product or the surprising effect of a
process.

„ No protection for
These things are not patentable:
• Ideas, concepts, discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods
• Rules for games, lottery systems, teaching methods and organizational flow charts
• Diagnostic, therapies and surgery procedures used for humans or animals
• Plant varieties, animal breeds, and other primarily biological procedures for breeding plants or animals
(However, biotechnological inventions, such as extracting human insulin from yeast cells, are patentable. The
cultivation of new plant variety can be protected under plant variety protection.)
• Forms (These can be protected as designs or under copyrights.)
• Computer programs as such (these come under copyright). However, inventions which depend on a computer
program are patentable (e.g., electronic steering)

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 14

 Patents

• Inventions, the application of which would go against public morality or law (e.g., procedures for cloning
humans)

Good to know
• Many things which are not patentable in other countries can be patented in the United States of America
because of a different approach. The US Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov), for example, grants
patents for computer programs and business methods.
Further information
• Patent examination guidelines in French (pdf 589 KB) or German (pdf 707 KB) Chapter 2, page 17, contains a
list of all the things which cannot be patented as well as further information regarding patenting computer
implemented inventions.
• www.admin.ch: Federal Act on New Plant Varieties

„ Filing a patent application

To find out how to apply for a patent and what the procedure is, go to our page «Protection in Switzerland».

Important:
• An invention must be novel in order for it to be protected. In Switzerland, however, the patent examination
does not include novelty. This means that it is possible to have a patent granted for an invention which is not
novel (e.g., a patent for a record player). However, this makes it possible for someone else to contest the
novelty of your invention, and your patent could be revoked (declared invalid).
 Perhaps you want to extend
protection for your invention to other countries. When an application to the European Patent Office (EPO) is
submitted and processed, the invention is examined for novelty — and will be rejected if it doesn’t meet the
requirement. We recommend strongly that you determine the novelty of your invention first. If you have
applied for a patent, you can have us conduct a Prior Art Search for Swiss Patent Application. Novelty is also
examined for in the European and PCT procedures. For information about patent protection abroad, look at
our page «Protection Abroad».
• The material examination for a patent application usually takes place 3-4 years after the application has been
filed. In the meantime, i.e., 18 months after the filing date (or, if applicable, the priority date), the patent
application is electronically published at www.swissreg.ch. If any weaknesses have been discovered in the
patent application, you must rectify them (e.g., revise the technical claims) without, however, going beyond the
content of the original documents submitted. If all deficiencies have been corrected, the patent is granted.
• We recommend that you draw up the technical specifications with a patent attorney. Prepare the patent
claims very carefully because these define exactly what will be protected and what not (scope of protection).

Further information
• Protection in Switzerland
• Protection abroad
• Guidelines to the patent application (in German) - free of charge
• Information sheet: how to draw up the technical documents (in German)
Resources
• www.swissreg.ch: The official publication of Swiss patents, trademarks, and designs contains information on
published Swiss applications and Swiss patents as well as granted European patents effective in Switzerland
and Liechtenstein.
• www.espacenet.com: The online database of the European Patent Organisation containing millions of patent
documents from all over the world.
Support
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland
Searches
• Prior Art Search for a Swiss Patent Application
• Professional searches: A search for the state of the art in your technology sector can provide a good basis for
preparing the technical documents.

„ Protection abroad
There are a couple of possibilities to protect your invention abroad: Filing directly in the country of interest, filing a
European application, or filing an international one. For information, see our page «Protection Abroad».

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 15

 Patents

Caution:
• Don’t miss the priority deadline when you extend protection abroad. The 12-month deadline begins the date of
your national patent application filing. During this period, you can file for a patent abroad and claim the date of
your first application.

Further information
• Protection abroad
Help
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland

„ Costs
Several things determine the cost of patent protection:
• Possible translations of the patent application for the various countries (Patents are usually granted in the
national language and thus translation costs can be very high!)
• Retaining a patent attorney
• The countries in which protection is sought
• Patent and technology searches
• Number of patent claims
• Patent fees

Usually the fees are the smallest portion of the total cost. A valid patent for Switzerland and Liechtenstein costs
CHF 200 for the application and CHF 500 for the examination. Starting five years after the date of filing and up to
20 years after, annual renewal fees are due. For the 5th and 6th year they are CHF 100; for the 7th and 8th year,
CHF 200; and as of the 9th year, CHF 310 annually. More information on fees is in our fee schedule.

Further information
• Patent fees (Switzerland and international)
• www.epo.org: The European Patent Office (EPO) can tell you the average cost of a European patent and a so-
called Euro-PCT patent. (For an explanation of these two application/granting procedures, go to the page
«Protection Abroad»).

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 16

 Trademarks
Trademarks
Technically, a trademark is a protected sign which distinguishes the products or services of one business from
another.

Basically, any graphic representations can be used as trademarks under the law: For example, words (e.g.,
Victorinox), combinations of letters (e.g., ABB), combinations of numbers (e.g., 501), graphic images (e.g., the SBB
logo), three-dimensional forms (e.g., the Mercedes star), slogans (e.g., «Cats would buy Whiskas»), any combination
of these elements, and a series of tones (acoustic trademarks, e.g., the Ricola jingle).

Trademark protection derives from entering it in the trademark register. You must indicate for which products
(goods and services classes) you want to register and use the sign. As a trademark owner you can prevent others
from using an identical or similar sign for the same or similar goods and services.

Good to know
• It is often wrongly assumed that the name of a business is automatically protected as a trademark. But a
company can register its name as a trademark and thus be protected if it meets the register conditions. Read
our webpage on «Trademarks».
• It is not compulsory to use the ® sign in Switzerland and it makes no difference in the owner's rights. However,
it can alert other people to the fact that the trademark is registered and it can help prevent infringement cases.
Using the registered trademark sign without having actually registered the mark is an offense.
Further information
• Information for beginners
• Trademarks
Resources
• www.swissreg.ch: The official publication of Swiss patents, trademarks, and designs contains information on
nationally registered trademarks.

„ Grounds for refusal

• Signs which belong to the public domain must remain available to everyone and cannot be registered. This
includes, for instance, single letters or numbers or abbreviations which have a meaning and a descriptive
character (e.g., 4x4, GTI). A sign may also not be purely descriptive of a characteristic, quality, type or place of
production (generic names). For instance, «apple» cannot be registered for a type of apple or fruit but it can be
registered for a computer without a problem.
• A trademark may also not be misleading or deceptive regarding properties such as source or quality. For
example, the trademark «GoldArt» cannot be registered for goods which are not made of gold or gilded with
gold.
• A trademark also may not go against public morality or the law.

Further information
• You can see examples of problematical signs which would be refused during examination as well as our
examination guidelines at our webpage Examination practice.
• Information on the use and protection of indications of source

„ Search first!
Search first! Conflict can arise when you register a sign (trademark) that is identical with or similar to a sign that
has already been registered for similar or identical goods and services. The consequence is that your trademark
could be contested during the opposition period (3 months after the publication of a trademark) or even as part of
a litigation process later on. You would be responsible for cancelling your trademark and liable for damages.

The trademark owner is responsible for avoiding infringement. During the trademark application examination, we
do not check if other registered marks could be confused with yours. We recommend that you have a professional
search for similar trademarks done before you apply for registration. Doing your own searches in online trademark
databases can be insufficient in some cases. For instance, if you want to search for the sign e-sapi, there could be
uncountable variations such as isapi, elsap, etc. A search expert uses specialized tools to recognize similar signs in
professional trademark databases.

Resources
• www.swissreg.ch: Swissreg publishes newly registered trademarks as well as modifications to previously

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 17

 Trademarks

registered marks. It is also possible to conduct preliminary searches for nationally registered trademarks. Such
a search is not a substitute for a professional search when considering a trademark registration because
Swissreg does not allow similarity searches and the database does not contain international trademarks with
extension in Switzerland.
• www.wipo.int: Search for international trademarks in Madrid Express, the online database of the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
• www.oami.europa.eu: Search for Community trademarks in the database of the Office of the European Union
Trade Marks and Designs (OHIM) in Alicante. Community trademarks are registered at OHIM and are valid
throughout the European Union.
Searches
• Professional searches: Searches for identical or similar trademarks protected in Switzerland can be carried out
by a variety of professional providers.

„ Trademark registration
To register a trademark, send us the completed form per post or fax, or use the electronic application system
under e-trademark.
Further information can be found on our webpage Protection in Switzerland or in our guidelines Registering
Trademarks (in German, French or Italian) which we gladly mail free of charge.

Individuals and firms domiciled outside of Switzerland must use an agent in Switzerland to represent them. In
general, we recommend retaining a specialist for your trademark registration as trademark law and practice is
complex.

Further information
• Registering trademarks in Switzerland
• Instructions for registering a trademark (in German) – order free of charge
Resources
• www.swissreg.ch: Swissreg publishes newly registered trademarks as well as modifications to previously
registered marks. It is also possible to conduct preliminary search for national registered trademarks. Such a
search is not a substitute for a professional search when considering a trademark registration because
Swissreg does not allow similarity searches and the database does not contain international trademarks with
extension in Switzerland.
• https://e-trademark.ige.ch: Online trademark registration
Support
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland
Searches
• Professional searches: Searches for identical or similar trademarks protected in Switzerland can be carried out
by a variety of professional providers.

„ Protection abroad
There are several possibilities to protect your trademark abroad: Your can register directly in the country of interest
or at a regional trademark office (e.g., the Office of the European Union Trademarks and Designs, in Alicante), or
you can register internationally through the so-called Madrid System.

For an international registration you must first register your trademark in Switzerland. Don’t miss the priority
deadline: If you plan to register your trademark for other countries using the Swiss priority date, we recommend
that you apply for the international registration at the same time as the national registration (or, within 4 months at
the latest).
Further information
• Trademark protection abroad
Support
• Trademark attorneys and agents in Switzerland
Searches
• Providers of domestic and international trademark searches

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 18

 Trademarks
„ Costs
The trademark registration fee in Switzerland is CHF 550, or CHF 350 for electronic registrations using e-
trademark, including three classes of goods and services, for 10 years. The fees for renewing trademark protection
for another 10 years are CHF 550. More information on fees can be found in our fee schedule.
Several things are involved in the cost of trademark protection
• Trademark searches
• The number of goods and services classes
• The countries in which protection is sought
• Retaining a trademark attorney or representative

Further information
• Schedule of most important fees

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 19

 Designs
Designs
A design is the visible form of a two-dimensional (patterns, such as fabric designs) or three-dimensional (models
such as tooth brushes or locomotives) object. The uniqueness of a design is achieved through the use of lines,
contours, colors, surfaces and materials.

The owner of the right to a design can prohibit others from using products with the same or similar design for
commercial purposes, i.e., producing, importing, and exporting.

Further information
• Designs

„ Requirements for protection

Creations which meet these conditions benefit from designs protection
• The design must be new. This condition has been met when no other identical design has been published
before filing for protection.
• The design must exhibit uniqueness. This condition is met when the design sufficiently differs from existing
designs in significant points.
• The design may not go against public morality or law.

Applications for design protection are not examined for newness in Switzerland. We recommend that you check
specialty stores, look at the competition, go to exhibitions and look at the trade literature to see if identical or
similar designs already exist.

„ No protection for
Not protected are designs which
• are purely functional (e.g., the threads on a screw)
• Offend public morality or order
• Go against the law (e.g., the Federal Law on Protection of Coats of Arms)

The design act does not cover

• Ways of producing (e.g., ways of making clothes)
• Practical uses (e.g., flow charts)
• Technical functions
Such things could possibly be protected by a patent.

„ Depositing designs
Depositing a design is very simple. Complete the application form; for each design, attach one or more copies of an
appropriate representation; mail it to the Institute via postal service or e-mail. All other information can be found
on our webpage Protection in Switzerland or you can order our free brochure «Designs Protection» (in German,
French, or Italian).

Further information
• Designs protection in Switzerland
• Designs Protection brochure (German, French, Italian) order
Support
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland

„ Protection abroad
Design protection can be extended to other countries any time after the first filing in a country up to six months
later. During this period, the newness is maintained.

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 20

 Designs

There are several possibilities to protect your design abroad: An international filing at the World Intellectual
Property Organization; filing at the Office of Harmonization of the Internal Market for all the European Union
member countries; or filing directly in the country of interest. Read our webpage Protection abroad.

Further information
• Designs protection abroad

„ Costs
The basic filing fee for the first design for 5 years is CHF 200.00 including the publication of one illustration.
Additional designs deposited with the same application cost CHF 100.00 per design. In addition, you must pay the
publication fee of CHF 20 for each illustration in addition to the one included in the basic application fee.

More information on fees can be found in our fee schedule.

Design protection is also determined by:
• The countries in which protection is sought
• Having a representative

Further information
• Design protection fees

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 21

 Copyrights
Copyrights
Copyrights protect works of literature and art. They protect the expression and not the content of an idea. Thus, it
is the concrete work in which an idea finds expression that is protected, not the idea itself.

For example, a scientific treatment of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity is protected as a literary work, but not the
theory itself. Copyrights automatically exist the moment a creation comes into existence. No formalities or filing is
possible or necessary. No registration for copyrights exists.

Benefits: The copyright owner determines whether, when, and how his work will be used. «To use» means,
specifically, reproducing, distributing, making accessible (e.g., putting a work on the internet), performing and
presenting, broadcasting and rebroadcasting and adapting (e.g., translating the work)

Further information
• Copyrights

„ Conditions for protection

Copyright protection is for works that meet the following conditions:
• It can be classified as literature or art
• It is the creative result of an intellectual effort
• It has a individual character
It does not matter how much effort or money has been used to create the work. In each idividuaL cases the court
will have to decide if the conditions for protection have been met.

„ No protection for
Ideas, mere labor (e.g., putting together a telephone book; rejection of the «sweat of the brow doctrine»), concepts
or instructions for humans (e.g., food recipes) do not fall under copyrights, even if they posses an individual
character. Laws, ordinances and other governmental decrees as well as decisions, protocols and reports made by
officials and public administrators, means of payment, patent documents, and publicized patent applications are
also not protected.

„ Protection abroad
Every legal system is basically national. Copyrights and neighboring rights protected under Swiss law are protected
only in Switzerland. International protection is regulated via international treaties (such as the Bern Convention
and the Rome Convention). To determine whether, as a Swiss resident, you are protected in another country, you
need to find out whether the country has joined the same treaties as Switzerland.

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 22

 Marketing
Marketing
Congratulations! After all your efforts nothing more should stand in the way of producing and successfully marketing
your product.

„ Advertising
Once you’ve deposited your design, applied for a patent for your invention, or registered your trademark, you do
not need to keep anything secret. Get the word out about your product and advertise!

Advertising flyers can be copyright protected if they have an individual character. Protection arises automatically
with the creation of the work; registration is not required.

Do you want to use your trademark on the internet? This is a special case in legal terms. Trademark protection is
territorial: that means that a trademark is only protected in the countries or regions for which it is registered. In
contrast, the «world wide web» is not territorial. Conflicts can arise on the internet between similar or identical
trademarks registered for protection in different countries. There have been few cases on this and the judicature
varies from country to country.

Good to know
• Is someone else creating your advertising? We recommend that you draw up a written agreement regarding
ownership of the copyrights and how they will be compensated the very beginning.
Caution
• Pictures and names of other people may not be used for advertising without their permission. This is set down
in the provisions regarding personality rights in the Swiss civil code.

„ Document things!
In case of conflict you have the advantage if you can prove that you have actually made use of your protective
rights. Document things such as:

• The use and marketing of your invention:

This is particularly important when the invention is not patented. If you are accused of patent infringement
later, it can be useful to have proof of when you marketed your invention. If this occurred before the plaintiff
applied for a patent, you can contest the novelty of his patent and have it possibly declared invalid and revoked
(an ‘invalidity claim’).
• The use of your trademark:
If you do not use your registered trademark for five consecutive years, someone else can request that it be
fully, or partially (in the case where you use it for only some of the goods and service classes for which it is
registered), cancelled. Afterwards you can no longer assert your trademark rights. That’s why you need to
document your trademark use thoroughly!
• The use of unregistered signs:
If you have been using a sign before someone else applies for trademark registration, that person cannot
prevent you from continuing to use the sign in the same way as before.

Good to know
• Save your documents long enough! Protective rights often last longer than what is legally required for business
documents. In case of litigation you might have to prove the entire length of period during which you used it.

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 23

 Enforcement
Enforcement
Now is the time to monitor your trademark, and enforce and manage your rights.

„ Monitor your competition

Especially successful products are always being imitated or copied.
Uncovering activities damaging to your business and taking action is in your best interest.

If you want to stay on top of the newly filed applications or registered trademarks and patents, you can monitor the
protective rights register. Check the register regularly or subscribe to a monitoring service with a search provider.

• Trademark monitoring: We do not search for identical or similar signs already registered when examining a
sign for trademark registration. This means that anyone can, at any time, register a trademark which could be
mistaken for yours! Trademark monitoring regularly informs you about potentially confusing signs which have
been newly registered or are pending registration. It allows you to promptly react and file opposition against the
new sign if necessary. Opposition proceedings are simple and relatively cheap but can only be done within 3
months of publication of a new trademark. Afterwards, a trademark which infringes on your prior trademark
can only be declared invalid by a civil court.
• Technology monitoring delivers information regarding published patent applications and newly granted
patents in your technology sector. It allows you to identify potential patent infringement early and at the same
time keeps you up to date on technological developments.

Do you think someone else’s patent has been unjustly granted, for example, because the invention does not show
novelty or an inventive step, or because the claims disclosures are incomplete? In such a case you can file an
invalidity claim at a civil court. A judge will then decide whether the patent in question is valid or not. Contact a
patent attorney. In special cases, particularly for biotechnology inventions, you can file opposition with the Institute
within nine months of the granting of a patent.

A statistical analysis of patents can reveal the development strategy of a competitor or the trends in a particular
technological sector. Patents usually reflect innovative activity, and professionals can extract valuable
technological and competitor information from them.

Resources
• www.swissreg.ch: Swissreg is the official publication for Swiss patents, trademarks and designs.
Further information
• Information on opposition procedure trademarks
• Information on opposition procedure patents
Searches
• Providers of professional searches and monitoring

„ Export
Protective rights are principally valid only within the territory of the country that granted them. A Swiss patent
protects an invention only in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Have you also obtained protection abroad? Before you
begin to export, especially if you haven’t obtained protection abroad, be certain that you will not be infringing on
the rights of anyone in your target market.

Good to know
Owners of registered trademarks or designs and of copyrights can defend themselves against imported or exported
counterfeited or pirated products. Request assistance from the federal customs administration. The customs
agents can temporarily impound shipments at the border. For more information and information sheets, go to the
website of the Federal Customs Administration (www.ezv.admin.ch).
Further information
• Protective strategies
• Trademark protection abroad
• Patent protection abroad
• Designs protection abroad

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 24

 Enforcement

Support
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland
Searches
• Providers of professional searches for similar or identical trademarks or for identifying potential patent
infringements

„ Monitor register entries

Are the entries still correct?
Monitor your trademark registration every time you introduce a new product under an existing trademark or modify
its appearance. Does the new product fall under the original classes of goods and services? If not, you can make a
new application for additional classes of goods and services.
The goods and services classes can be restricted anytime by submitting a written application.

We advise you to have any address changes, licensing agreements, and, above all, transfers of rights entered into
the register. This is particularly beneficial in case of a conflict because anyone who is well-intentioned can assume
that the register is correct.

Further information
• Schedule of trademark fees
• Schedule of patent fees
Resources
• Form for registration changes (trademark)

„ Litigation?
Once you have a presence on the market, you are vulnerable. Your product, service, or trademark can become the
object of litigation at any time independent of whether you’ve protected your intellectual property or not!

A competitor can send you warning (a cease and desist letter). if you are infringing on his rights with your product,
product name or design. Protective rights can also be contested in court at any time because they are not
guaranteed by the Institute. In such a case, the court decides on the validity of a protective right.

Warning notices and the related deadlines from a competitor are serious. By requesting an excerpt from the
register from your opponent you can gauge potential infringement better. In general, you should always consult an
attorney in such cases. He can assess the legal status and recommend an effective strategy for responding.
Grounds for litigation can often be voided, for example, when the accusing party’s protective title isn’t valid.

Good to know
Searches are the best prevention against rights infringement. Read the section «Don’t infringe».
Further information
• www.admin.ch: What are the grounds for revoking a patent? (in German)
Support
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland

„ Managing rights
Successful trademarks, patents, designs, and copyrights are valuable assets that can be traded at any time. They
can be sold (transferred) or permission for use can be given to others (e.g., for a licensing fee or for free).

We advise you to have licensing agreements, and, above all, rights transfers, entered into the register. This is
particularly beneficial in case of a conflict because anyone of good faith may assume that the register is correct.

Licensing agreements must be carefully negotiated and fixed. An attorney specializing in licensing contracts can

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 25

 Enforcement

help you.

Further information
• Transferring and licensing trademark rights. The page also has a link to the form you need to submit.
• www.wipo.int: A comprehensive guide to licensing can be purchased through the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) in Geneva: Exchanging Value. Negotiating Technology Licensing Agreements.
Support
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland
• Swiss Bar Association

„ Dealing with conflicts

Is someone trying to exploit your trademark? Is your product being copied?
Respond with informed, firm action. Document any imitations and keep track of the surrounding situation. An
attorney (patent or trademark) can help you analyze the situation, assess the legality and find an effective strategy
for responding. Many cases of infringement occur unintentionally and the parties involved can resolve it outside of
court. Often simply sending a cease-and-desist letter indicating the infringing act and describing the legal situation
and consequences if the infringement continues is sufficient. The parties involved can also draw up an agreement
defining who can legally use the invention, trademark, or design, and how it can be used in the future. Otherwise,
litigation proceedings can be initiated against the infringing party.

However, to prevent infringement from occurring in the first place, we recommend monitoring the register (see,
Monitor your competition) If a trademark which is identical or similar to yours has been published, as the owner of
the prior trademark, you have the right to file an opposition to us within 3 months of publication of the trademark
in question. Opposition proceedings are relatively simple and cheap, and determine whether the two trademarks
are confusing. If so, the more recent trademark will be cancelled.

Swiss patent law recognizes an opposition procedure which is restricted to the establishment of patentability
according to Article 1a, 1b and 2 of the law (i.e., in particular for biotechnology inventions). If the parties involved
cannot come to an agreement in case of conflict, they must take it to court.

In case of conflict, registered rights, whether trademark, patent, or design, have an advantage in that they provide
clear, officially documented evidence for the scope of protection, the application/filing date, owner, etc.

Further information
• Opposition procedure (trademarks); detailed Information about opposition procedure can also be found in our
Trademark Examination Guidelines in German (pdf, 3000 KB) and French (pdf, 3000 KB).
• Opposition procedure (patents)
• www.admin.ch: Information on annullment procedure (in German, French and Italian) (Federal Patent Law)
• www.promarca.ch: The trademark brochure (in German and French) (pdf 2,53 MB) from the Swiss brand name
trade association contains information about possible measures to take in cases of intellectual property
infringement.
• Information about counterfeiting and piracy.
Good to know
• Owners of patents, registered trademarks or designs and copyrights can defend themselves against imported
or exported counterfeited or pirated products by requesting assistance from the federal customs
administration. The customs agents can temporarily impound suspicious shipments at the border. For more
information and fact sheets, go to the website of the Federal Customs Administration (www.ezv.admin.ch).
Resources
• www.swissreg.ch: The official publication for Swiss patents, trademarks and designs. You can look up
trademarks, patents and designs online in the Swiss register of protective titles, for instance, if you want to find
out if a particular trademark is protected in Switzerland or a patent is still in force.
Support
• Trademark attorneys in Switzerland
• Patent attorneys in Switzerland

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 26

 Enforcement

Searches
• Providers of professional searches and monitoring.

„ Protection expired?
Protective rights are for a limited time only, except for trademark rights which can be renewed indefinitely in
Switzerland. Patent protection lasts a maximum of 20 years, designs protection 25 years. Copyrights last 70 years
after the author's death, or 50 years in the case of computer programs.

Even if you don't have registered rights, there are other laws to help against counterfeiters. The federal law against
unfair competition protects primarily against a conduct of business which is contrary to good faith-practices or
immoral. Unfair and illegal are acts such as deceiving and misleading consumers. If this is the case, the unfair
competition law can be used to fight against counterfeiting and imitations.
A cloud on the horizon: Prosecution claims based on the Law on Unfair Competition are usually complicated and
expensive. In contrast, registered trademarks, patents, and design rights are much simpler to enforce.
 Any questions?
Any questions?
For questions regarding patents, trademarks, designs, and copyrights, we are available
Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00
Telephone +41 (0)31 377 77 77
Fax +41 (0)31 377 77 78
e-mail: info@ipi.ch
What do you think of this guide? Your opinion is important to us! Feedback Form

Please note that we cannot advise on questions of strategy or cases of conflict. Contact instead a patent or
trademark attorney or other intellectual property specialist.

Further information
• Are you interested in receiving regular information about patent and trademark searches? You can subscribe to
our newsletter ip-search Newsletter.
• The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has published an informative guide to patents, trademarks
and designs for small and medium sized businesses. It can be downloaded directly from the WIPO website
(www.wipo.int) as a pdf.

Guide for Innovative and Creative Minds Page 28